"Stinky brat, I said I'm immortal and don't age; I'm no old man!" Kakuzu said coldly.
"Satoru! Yoshime! How are you two here?! My marks were for ANBU and jonin; you're no match!" Minato panicked upon seeing Satoru and Yoshime, shouting a warning.
"Shut up," Kakuzu didn't say much, just gave Minato a crushing glare.
"Looks like you deliberately waited for Konoha reinforcements? Why lure us here on purpose?" Yoshime naturally realized Kakuzu was drawing in help.
"Me? I love killing famous ninja and cashing in their heads. Money's the only real value to me," Kakuzu admitted. "This time, someone ordered this red-haired girl. Turns out this blond brat's wanted too."
"Later I learned he's a Konoha genius! So I ignored his marks on purpose, planning to draw more Leaf ninja and slaughter them all."
"Killing one by one is too much hassle. This time, I'll finish you all at once. Those with bounties, I'll deliver and cash in," the Akatsuki member stated bluntly.
"In other words, whoever comes, I kill!"
"Run! You're no match; a whole chunin team already died by his hand!" the blond was desperate. Captured and immobile, he could only urge Satoru and Yoshime to flee.
Satoru shook his head:
"Minato, don't forget, right after Ninja Academy graduation, we beat chunin together."
"I'm not running. Saving you is our mission with Yoshime."
"Yoshime, I'll handle that Kakuzu guy; you free Minato and Kushina," the reincarnator pre-assigned the tactical plan to Yoshime.
Seeing this, Kakuzu clapped:
"Not bad, not bad! Truly, the young generation inspires awe. Since you dared face me, out of great mercy, I'll end you quickly!"
"Lightning Release: Earth Shock!"
"Wind Release: Oppressive Harm!"
Kakuzu was calculating and experienced. He saw Satoru wasn't simple.
"This Konoha brat knows my name and stays composed facing me. Better eliminate him fast from the start!"
Oppressive Harm was a massive gale; Earth Shock, lightning spreading through the ground. No room for Satoru to dodge.
"Earth Release: Mud Wall!" Satoru quickly formed seals, barely blocking Kakuzu's ninjutsu with Mud Wall.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!" Kakuzu shattered the Mud Wall with one strike and charged Satoru at incredible speed.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" the Sarutobi clan technique rushed at Kakuzu.
Soon, Kakuzu was consumed by the fire technique.
"We won?" Yoshime asked.
"This... this is Satoru! His ninjutsu flow so seamlessly? Won't his chakra run out?" Minato wondered.
Satoru scanned cautiously. He'd only destroyed a clone. A strong ninja like Kakuzu couldn't be killed so easily by his fire.
Indeed, Kakuzu's voice rang out again.
"Ha-ha! Not bad! For a brat, you did very well!"
"But you'll still die!"
All prior ninjutsu Kakuzu used were from his main body. Failing to defeat Satoru with three in a row, Kakuzu realized this boy's power was on another level from normal geniuses.
"Best to kill such a genius," Kakuzu felt no pity and used his secret technique.
"Secret Technique: Earth Grudge Fear!"
All the stitches on Kakuzu's body split, black threads emerging disgustingly fast.
"Brat, consider yourself lucky. Dying young to this technique means you didn't live your shinobi life in vain," with that, Kakuzu reached for Satoru. Black threads extended his arm at blinding speed toward the boy's neck.
Satoru's Sharingan was active, his perception too. He'd long seen Kakuzu's attack trajectory.
"Monstrous Strength plus Armament Haki!" Satoru used Armament Haki: Hardening and Tsunade's Monstrous Strength. He not only avoided the neck grab but seized Kakuzu's arm.
"What?! How?! He kept up with my attack?!" Kakuzu found it unbelievable.
"Fall!" the Earth native yanked Kakuzu's arm, slamming his body to the ground with a crash.
"Terrifying strength! Such a small body with monstrous power! Such high chakra control! Damn!" Kakuzu took no serious damage and quickly stood.
"Brat, your teacher isn't Tsunade, one of the Three Legendary Sannin? Only she has such monstrous strength in the shinobi world!" Kakuzu analyzed.
"And... that black stuff, what is it? Seems harder than iron..." Satoru's Armament Haki naturally puzzled Kakuzu.
"No need for you to know. You kidnapped my comrade; I'm dealing with you," the transmigrator calmly approached Kakuzu.
Yoshime seized the moment to free Minato and Kushina.
"Not so easy! Think my power's limited to this? Brat! Don't get cocky! I'll tear you apart!" Kakuzu attacked Satoru again, but he deflected it easily.
"Ha! Brat! You got careless!" Kakuzu smirked. Satoru sensed something wrong. He'd blocked a normal arm; Kakuzu had detached his wrist from forearm.
"Real target — your heart!" Kakuzu thrust black threads at Satoru. The boy paled in shock.
Kakuzu thought, despite difficulties, he'd won. About to sigh in relief, he saw Satoru's shock turn to a malicious grin.
"Sorry, Kakuzu-senpai, I tricked you," Satoru ignored the black threads and whispered. "Discharge!"
High-voltage electricity enveloped Satoru's body. The threads, before touching him, were paralyzed by the lightning.
Kakuzu's body went numb momentarily.
"No seals... made lightning appear beside him? What ninjutsu is this?! A Konoha ninja mastered Lightning Release to this level... Who are you...? No matter how you look, just a normal brat..."
"Raikage using Transformation Technique?" Kakuzu was utterly baffled. He'd never faced this before.
"No. If you need an explanation, it's my Kekkei Genkai, lightning power," Satoru knew Kakuzu couldn't accept his power easily. Beating Kakuzu wouldn't be simple.
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan